An observational study in Childhood Obesity, sponsored by Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Completed at 1 site in United States. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-02-03.
Sponsored by Pennington Biomedical Research Center · Observational
Painted Playgrounds Aim 1: Observation will examine the physical environment of licensed childcare centers before and after painting stencil activities (hopscotch, foursquare, fun trails, etc.) on playgrounds. The stencils are a promising intervention to help decrease obesity and sedentary behaviors in preschool aged children because they are cost-effective and easily scalable. Observations will be held at follow-ups by video recording during recess and using a modified behavioral observation method, called SOPLAY. Surveys will be administered to childcare center directors to report further on their physical activity environment and how much they are interacting with the stencils.
Preschool is a critical period during which children develop fundamental motor skills, build confidence in their movement, and start a physical activity trajectory that follows through adolescence and beyond. Unfortunately, few sustainable interventions have succeeded in increasing preschool children's physical activity, and subsequently children are developing obesity at alarming rates. A simple, low-cost strategy is the addition of colorful markings (i.e. hopscotch, foursquare, fun trails) to existing playgrounds or open spaces. These "painted playgrounds" have been shown to be effective to increase physical activity in older school-aged children but remain understudied in preschool children. The proposed project will examine the physical activity environment of licensed childcare centers before and after the implementation of a promising (cost-effective, easily scalable) playground stenciling intervention.
The project aim will be achieved through a prospective observational epidemiological approach before and after a stenciling intervention is implemented. Among 4 childcare centers licensed in East Baton Rouge Parish (EBR), the investigators will first observe the playground environment to assess the equipment, space, ground material, etc. to provide a baseline measure of the physical activity environment prior to stenciling and ensure that intervention and control centers have similar playground environments. A modified behavioral observation method, the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth (SOPLAY), will be used during recess to identify changes in physical activity after the stencils are added and which stencils are generating the biggest changes in physical activity. Surveys will be administered to center directors to further understand the physical activity environment (i.e. policies, additional PA support, etc.) in each center. This project will examine how a promising (cost-effective, easily scalable) playground stenciling intervention changes the physical activity landscape of childcare centers in order to provide evidence for the need for dissemination to numerous childcare centers across Louisiana. Ultimately, this pilot may launch an innovative strategy that has the potential to disrupt negative trends in obesity and sedentary behavior among Louisiana preschoolers.
1,117 studies on the registry are indexed under Pediatric Obesity; 189 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 51 is below the median of 200 across 231 observational studies indexed under Pediatric Obesity.
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Four licensed DOE Class A or B childcare centers will be selected from a list of all DOE licensed childcare centers in East Baton Rouge Parish.
Exclusion Criteria:
All childcare centers enrolled to Aim 1 will be observed. The physical activity environment will be examined before and after the implementation of playground stencils.
Change in Children's Physical Activity Levels During Recess
The investigators will observe the number of children participating in physical activity during recess before and after the implementation of a playground stenciling intervention to asses for change. The observation will be performed using a modified version of the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth (SOPLAY). SOPLAY is an observational tool designed to assess physical activity levels \& environmental conditions in settings where youth are engaged in play and leisure. SOPLAY is typically used to capture data on physical activity levels, the type of activity, and environmental factors that may influence youth activity. SOPLAY does not produce a single cumulative "score" but instead provides a detailed record of activity levels and environmental conditions. The data is typically analyzed to assess patterns, identify factors that promote or inhibit physical activity, and guide interventions to improve youth physical activity engagement.
Time frame: Children will be examined at follow up (6-8 weeks after receiving the stencils)
Childcare Center Physical Activity Environment
Childcare center directors will complete a survey assessing the physical activity environment (e.g. policies for outdoor play and screen time, available equipment, teacher engagement in physical activity, etc.) of their childcare center.
Time frame: Baseline
Satisfaction With Playground Stencils
Intervention Childcare center directors will complete a survey to measure their satisfaction and perceptions of teacher's satisfaction with the playground stencils.
Time frame: 6-8 weeks after receiving the playground stencils.
Childcare Center Resources for Physical Activity
Project staff will evaluate the availability of resources (i.e. playground space, equipment, etc.) at each childcare center.
Time frame: Baseline
| Milestone | Intervention Centers | Wait-List Control |
|---|---|---|
| Started | 32 | 19 |
| Completed | 32 | 19 |
| Not completed | 0 | 0 |
The investigators will observe the number of children participating in physical activity during recess before and after the implementation of a playground stenciling intervention to asses for change. The observation will be performed using a modified version of the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth (SOPLAY). SOPLAY is an observational tool designed to assess physical activity levels \& environmental conditions in settings where youth are engaged in play and leisure. SOPLAY is typically used to capture data on physical activity levels, the type of activity, and environmental factors that may influence youth activity. SOPLAY does not produce a single cumulative "score" but instead provides a detailed record of activity levels and environmental conditions. The data is typically analyzed to assess patterns, identify factors that promote or inhibit physical activity, and guide interventions to improve youth physical activity engagement.
| count of participants | Children Enrolled in Participating Child Care Centers - Control | Children Enrolled in Participating Child Care Centers - Intervention |
|---|---|---|
| Light physical activity | 2.3 ± 3.3 | 4.3 ± 2.9 |
| Moderate physical activity | 3.5 ± 3.6 | 0.5 ± 3.2 |
| Vigorous PA | 2.6 ± 1.2 | .9 ± 1.1 |
| Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity | 6.2 ± 4.1 | 1.4 ± 3.7 |
| Sedentary Behavior | -8.5 ± 6.8 | -5.6 ± 6.1 |
Childcare center directors will complete a survey assessing the physical activity environment (e.g. policies for outdoor play and screen time, available equipment, teacher engagement in physical activity, etc.) of their childcare center.
| childcare centers | Observation |
|---|---|
| Does your center offered structured programs children to be physically active? — Yes | 2 |
| Does your center offered structured programs children to be physically active? — No | 2 |
| Do any community organizations support or provide physical activity programs at the center? — Yes | 3 |
| Do any community organizations support or provide physical activity programs at the center? — No | 1 |
| Active play time is provided to all preschool children more than 120 minutes each day. — Yes | 4 |
| Active play time is provided to all preschool children more than 120 minutes each day. — No | 0 |
| Preschool children are expected to remain seated for no more than 15 minutes at a time. — Yes | 2 |
| Preschool children are expected to remain seated for no more than 15 minutes at a time. — No | 2 |
| Indoor gross motor play area for preschool children consists of space for all activities. — Yes | 1 |
| Indoor gross motor play area for preschool children consists of space for all activities. — No | 3 |
| Outdoor play areas consist of multiple play areas, open space, and a track/path for wheeled toys. — Yes | 4 |
| Outdoor play areas consist of multiple play areas, open space, and a track/path for wheeled toys. — No | 0 |
| Portable play equipment consists of lots of variety for children to use at the same time. — Yes | 1 |
| Portable play equipment consists of lots of variety for children to use at the same time. — No | 3 |
| Providers are offered training opportunities in physical activity at 2 or more times per year. — Yes | 2 |
| Providers are offered training opportunities in physical activity at 2 or more times per year. — No | 2 |
Intervention Childcare center directors will complete a survey to measure their satisfaction and perceptions of teacher's satisfaction with the playground stencils.
| childcare centers | Observation |
|---|---|
| Do providers use the playground to teach academic concepts through movement? — Yes | 2 |
| Do providers use the playground to teach academic concepts through movement? — No | 0 |
| If yes, are stencils used? — Yes | 1 |
| If yes, are stencils used? — No | 1 |
| Have you seen any change in students' physical activity since the playground stencils were painted? — Yes | 1 |
| Have you seen any change in students' physical activity since the playground stencils were painted? — No | 1 |
| Are playground stencils used to infuse physical activity into the day outside of recess? — Yes | 0 |
| Are playground stencils used to infuse physical activity into the day outside of recess? — No | 2 |
Project staff will evaluate the availability of resources (i.e. playground space, equipment, etc.) at each childcare center.
| childcare centers | Observation |
|---|---|
| Was Portable Play Equipment Present? — Yes | 1 |
| Was Portable Play Equipment Present? — No | 1 |
| Was Fixed Play Equipment Present? — Yes | 2 |
| Was Fixed Play Equipment Present? — No | 0 |
Collected over 8 weeks. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.
| Group | Deaths | Serious | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children Enrolled in Participating Child Care Centers - Control | 0/19 (0%) | 0/19 (0%) | 0/19 (0%) |
| Children Enrolled in Participating Child Care Centers - Intervention | 0/32 (0%) | 0/32 (0%) | 0/32 (0%) |
| Age, Categorical(Participants) | Children Enrolled in Participating Child Care Centers - Control | Children Enrolled in Participating Child Care Centers - Intervention | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| <=18 years | 19 | 32 | 51 |
| Between 18 and 65 years | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| >=65 years | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sex: Female, Male(Participants) | Children Enrolled in Participating Child Care Centers - Control | Children Enrolled in Participating Child Care Centers - Intervention | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 12 | 17 | 29 |
| Male | 7 | 15 | 22 |
| Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants) | Children Enrolled in Participating Child Care Centers - Control | Children Enrolled in Participating Child Care Centers - Intervention | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asian | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Black or African American | 12 | 23 | 35 |
| White | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| More than one race | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown or Not Reported | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Pennington Biomedical Research Center